7. American Idiot
The Musical: Based off of punk rock band Green Days eponymous, platinum-certified album, 2011s American Idiot was a rock musical that expanded the story of its source material to tell the tale of discontented young men struggling to find purpose in post-9/11 America while maintaining its political power through portraying the characters disillusionment, wasted youth, and rebellion against the establishment.
Why The Movies Worth Watching: While the music of American Idiot was praised for its energy and its message, the storyline was criticised for its lack of emotional depth, as little was added to flesh out Green Days original songs in the musical. Clearly, then, a cinematic version would do wonders for the story as bare-bones as that of the musicals, bringing more heart, character and life to the rebellious energy of the music, the socially conscious plot, and the award-winning visuals of the show. Currently, the film for Universal Studios, with musical director Michael Mayer, is in its early stages: it has a finished script that is purportedly dirtier and nastier than the show. In any case, when one thinks punk rock, the next thing that comes to mind is rarely Broadway, and, while the Great White Way has seen some status-quo-challenging rock shows in its time Hair, Rent, Next to Normal film could be a more appropriate medium to depict the grit and squalor of American Idiots city of the damned, the teenage wasteland that both makes a relevant statement and strikes a deep chord.